Royal Perth Hospital

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School of Surgery (M572)
Royal Perth Hospital
The University of Western Australia
35 Stirling Highway
Crawley
Western Austalia 6009

Royal Perth Hospital (RPH) was the first hospital established in Western Australia and is its largest teaching hospital.

RPH has a distinguished international record in patient care, teaching and research, hosting Nobel Prize-winning research and world-leading experts in areas such as stroke, burns care and HIV research.

RPH employs about 7,000 staff members (about 4,700 full-time equivalent), which includes world and national leaders in several areas, as well as more than 500 volunteers in the "Friends of RPH" service.

The hospital has on average 530 medical and surgical day and multi-day beds, with another 49 intensive/high dependency beds (with another 190 at the Shenton Park Campus). The hospital treats about 77,000 in-patients a year, receives about 298,000 outpatient attendances a year, and has one of the busiest emergency departments in Australia, with more than 58,000 presentations a year.

General surgery

The General Surgery Unit associated with Royal Perth Hospital is located within the on-site Medical Research Foundation (MRF) building. For many years it has demonstrated a strong commitment to providing excellence in teaching, research and service within Royal Perth Hospital and leadership within the wider medical community at a state and national level.

The academic unit is led by Winthrop Professor John Hall and includes academic appointees with special interests in gastrointestinal surgery, vascular surgery, urological surgery, breast surgery, nutrition, translational cancer research, clinical trials, surgical education and research methodology.

Over the years extensive laboratory facilities and infrastructure has been progressively established at the site. The publication output, on a wide range of topics extending from surgical management of specific conditions to the future of the surgical profession, has been extensive and sustained.

Surgical rotations

Students in sixth year of the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree undertake surgical rotations of seven weeks on surgical units within Royal Perth Hospital. This is accompanied by teaching in the discipline of Anaesthesia of one week. A tutorial program for sixth year students is also offered, along with instruction in relevant ward procedures and protocols under the guidance of nursing staff in the Hospital.

Professor Hall originated the concept of a Master of Surgery degree as a means of supporting surgical trainees and fostering a life-long commitment to research and close association with academic mentors.